HK govt, protesters fail to agree after talks

The Hong Kong government said on Tuesday it will submit a report to the central government to reflect the public reaction to the political reform framework set out by the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC).

However, discussions between the Hong Kong authorities and the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) failed to narrow their differences regarding the election method for the city's top post in 2017.

Speaking during a meeting on Tuesday evening with student protest leaders, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Hong Kong's No.2 official and the city's chief secretary, made it clear that the NPCSC's decision on Hong Kong's chief executive election in 2017 will not be altered.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, however, will submit a report to the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office to reflect the Hong Kong public's views and demands raised during the recent protests, said Lam.

The city's Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will be in charge of compiling the report, Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, secretary for the bureau, said at a press conference after the Tuesday discussions.

Tam pledged that the report will be unbiased, and will include research conducted by academic institutions and public statements released by the HKFS.

The two-hour discussion was the first formal meeting between government representatives and protest leaders from the HKFS. It was broadcast live to discuss the city's political reform measures and came after the rallies have been going on for nearly a month.

Yvonne Leung Lai-kwok, an HKFS spokesperson, spoke at a protest site in Admiralty after the meeting and said that she felt disappointed that the government did not respond to the protesters' demands, and said the protesters will not give up on them.

The student protesters remained firm on their stance that public nomination should be included in the election method. Student leader Alex Chow Yong-kang, HKFS secretary-general, said after the meeting that they will hold discussions with other groups involved in the protests, and will decide whether to hold a second dialogue with the government.

"Hong Kong is a part of China, so the central government has both the right and responsibility to decide Hong Kong's matters. Hong Kong's chief executive should also report to the central government," Lam reiterated.

She restated that the idea of public nominations, as raised by the protesters, is not in accordance with the Basic Law and the decision by the NPCSC.

Lam also said that the framework for the coming election is not final, and there could be "advances" after 2017. A dialogue platform engaging different sectors should also be set up in soliciting views on long-term constitutional development beyond 2017, she noted.

Despite the lack of any major breakthrough, Hong Kong lawmakers hailed the talk as progress made by both sides in steps toward ending the month-long protests, but believe the central government's decision is not to be reversed.

"The government has shown their sincerity and patience in solving the problem and in explaining the situation with the students. But they should not hold false expectations that the NPCSC's legal framework will be changed," Starry Lee Wai-king, lawmaker and member of the Executive Council, the body which advises the chief executive, told the Global Times.

"The Occupy protests have lasted for more than three weeks now. Many Hong Kong people want to return to their normal lives. It is time to restore social order," said Lee.

Another lawmaker, Abraham Shek Lai-him, said the meeting was helpful for building communication between the two sides, but also said he believes the NPCSC's framework will not be changed.

Hours before the talk, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said that he would consider disclosing proof of external forces manipulating the ongoing Occupy protests "at an appropriate time."

Hong Kong police said Tuesday 94 people have been arrested since October 3 at Mong Kok, one of the protest sites, for offences including common assaults, criminal damage and possession of offensive weapons.